Honda Fr-V MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 18 model years and 53,604 tests, the Honda Fr-V passes its MOT 73.2% of the time. Against MPVs of a similar age (28.9% fail rate), the Fr-V comes out 2.1pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Fr-V years
Ranked across Fr-V years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
The strongest year on this record is 2009 (76.8% pass rate); the weakest is 2004 (70.0%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (16.1%) and suspension (14.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are component mounting prescribed areas, position lamp and linkage ball joints — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 4,340 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 19.1% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 31.2% once past 150k.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 3.0pp more often than petrol ones (28.6% vs 25.6%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 45.6% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 26.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 27.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Fr-V model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 1,291 | 70.0% | 30.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 8,723 | 70.5% | 29.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 11,344 | 70.8% | 29.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 11,895 | 74.1% | 25.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 11,732 | 74.1% | 25.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 7,924 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 474 | 77.4% | 22.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 47 | 70.2% | 29.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 36 | 86.1% | 13.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 55 | 85.5% | 14.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 33 | 84.9% | 15.2% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 16.1% | 8,643 |
| 2 | Suspension | 14.2% | 7,632 |
| 3 | Brakes | 8.6% | 4,626 |
| 4 | Tyres | 7.0% | 3,733 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.6% | 3,014 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.4% | 2,915 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 4.6% | 2,442 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 2.1% | 1,126 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 4,340 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 4,297 |
| 3 | Linkage ball joints | 3,123 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 2,892 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 2,440 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 2,211 |
| 7 | Service brake performance | 2,106 |
| 8 | Tread depth | 2,093 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 45.6% | 24,468 |
| 2 | Tyres | 31.1% | 16,684 |
| 3 | Brakes | 30.3% | 16,262 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 22.1% | 11,874 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 13.9% | 7,459 |
| 6 | Other defects | 12.5% | 6,693 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 152 | 19.1% |
| 30-60k | 1,690 | 16.0% |
| 60-90k | 7,611 | 20.8% |
| 90-120k | 16,339 | 26.0% |
| 120-150k | 15,957 | 28.4% |
| 150k+ | 11,837 | 31.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 32,067 | 25.6% |
| Diesel | 21,521 | 28.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13,716 | 26.3% |
| 2022 | 12,191 | 26.0% |
| 2023 | 10,764 | 27.1% |
| 2024 | 9,200 | 27.5% |
| 2025 | 7,733 | 27.9% |
What to check before buying a Honda Fr-V
- Lighting & signalling (16.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (14.2% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Brakes (8.6% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Honda Fr-V?
73.2% of the 53,604 Honda Fr-V MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 26.8% fail rate, across model years 2004–2021.
What does the Honda Fr-V most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 16.1% of tests, then suspension (14.2%).
Which Fr-V years are best and worst for MOT results?
2009 has the best pass rate at 76.8% and 2004 the weakest at 70.0%, from 7,924 and 1,291 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Fr-V MOT results?
Fail rates run at 19.1% for cars in the 0-30k band and 31.2% for 150k+, a 12.2-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Fr-V more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 25.6% of the time against 28.6% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 53,604 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.